Dairy Cottage

Together with the owners’ adjoining farmhouse, Dairy Cottage is a classically pretty English building: red bricks, a burst of Boston ivy and bountiful gardens beyond. Hidden at the end of a tree-lined drive, it enjoys a true sense of rural calm with fine southerly views across rolling fields.

Part of a non-working (but often sheep-dotted) smallholding, the cottage is accessed through a classic farm courtyard. Its open-plan entrance hall leads into the cosy kitchen, which has every appliance you’ll need, as well as pleasant views of those extensive gardens.

This warm and welcoming country style can also be found in the large living room, which includes a wooden dining table, honey-coloured wallpaper and classic sash windows which bathe the room in sunlight. Upstairs you’ll find the shared bathroom, complete with an inviting bath, and both bedrooms. The first room has twin cast iron beds, perfect for children or friends, while the master has a super-king-sized bed that’s positioned against a backdrop of chintzy, pastoral wallpaper. The master bedroom also benefits from pretty garden views, which are best enjoyed from its romantic Juliet balcony.

Yours to roam, the tranquil and well-tended gardens encompass an orchard area, a courtyard, large lawns — ideal for youngsters with energy to burn — flowery borders, thick hedges and a secluded, sunken area. There are benches on which to sit and read, or simply listen to the peaceful birdsong, as well as a private dining area and barbecue.

Green-fingered guests will also love Scampston Hall, whose wondrous, wacky walled garden is just a short walk away. Only a little further afield lies the long-distance Wolds Way footpath, while walking and cycling trails — not to mention a trail of Gruffalo sculptures — await inside the North York Moors National Park at Dalby Forest. Castle Howard (of Brideshead Revisited fame) and the foodie town of Malton are close too, and it’s 30 minutes to the lovely sandy beach at Filey.